1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a panel member on an exterior side of a panel column of a curtain wall structure and the like employed in a building body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, with respect to apparatuses for mounting panel members on panel columns of the curtain wall structure employed in the building body, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-73411 discloses one of the apparatuses for mounting the panel members.
In the conventional apparatus for mounting the panel member disclosed in the above Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-73411: an adjusting member provided with an engaging-flange portion is mounted on an exterior side of a panel column in such a manner as to be movable in a vertical direction along the exterior side of the panel column; a frame member provided with a groove portion is fixedly mounted on each of a right and a left longitudinal edge of an interior side of the panel member; the engaging-flange portion of the adjusting member is inserted into the groove portion of the frame member; and the adjusting member is fixedly mounted on the exterior side of the panel column by fastening a screw.
In the conventional apparatus for mounting the panel member described above, it is very cumbersome to mount the adjusting member on the exterior side of the panel column because the adjusting member must be slidably moved from one of an upper and a lower end of the panel column to a predetermined position in which the adjusting member is temporarily fixed to the panel column by means of the screw.
In addition, in the above conventional apparatus, in order to mount the panel member on the panel column, it is necessary to insert the engaging-flange portion of the adjusting member into a notch portion of the groove portion of the frame member. However, it is very cumbersome to move the panel member, which is a considerably heavy article, in a vertical direction in order to position the panel member in a predetermined position in which the engaging-flange portion of the adjusting member is aligned with the notch portion of the groove portion of the frame member to enable the engaging-flange portion of the adjusting member to enter the groove portion of the frame member through the notch portion thereof.